1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ditch diggers and more specifically it relates to a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system for allowing soil to be easily fed into one or more rotating dispersing members.
Farmers often times desire to dig ditches for draining water from fields thereby increasing the usability of the land. In addition, farmers often times desire to construct terraces on uneven land. Hence, it is desirable to have a single machine that both digs ditches and creates terraces.
The invention described in U.S. pat. application Ser. No. 09/315,743 provides such a machine that includes a front blade and an inclined dispersing member that receives severed soil from the front blade. One of the problems associated a structure as disclosed within the patent application is that the soil becomes elevated from the front blade and does not always drop down onto the rotating dispersing member thereby causing plugging problems and soil dispersing problems. Hence, there is a need for a structure that improves the feeding of the soil material into the dispersing member to ensure that the soil material is properly received by the dispersing member during operation of the ditch digging and cleaning system
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ditch digging devices have been in use for years. Typically, a vertically orientated rotary blade member is utilized that has a rotational plane parallel to a vertical axis. The lower edge of a rotary blade engages, cuts and throws the dirt creating a curved ditch structure.
Conventional ditch diggers require significant PTO power to the PTO shaft since the rotary blade is initially engaging, cutting and throwing the dirt. In addition, conventional ditch diggers merely cutout a curved ditch that easily fills in with dirt and debris over time requiring constant cleaning. Also, a curved ditch is incapable of handling as large of volume of water as a flat-bottomed ditch of the same width. In additional, the velocity of water flowing through a conventional curved ditch is significantly higher than a flat-bottomed ditch of the same width thereby increasing erosion of the land.
The invention described in U.S. pat. application Ser. No. 09/315,743 solves most of these problems associated with conventional ditch diggers. However, one of the problems associated with the structure as disclosed within the patent application is that the soil becomes elevated from the front blade and does not always drop down onto the rotating dispersing member thereby causing plugging problems and soil dispersing problems.
Examples of patented ditch diggers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,610 to Liebrecht, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,985 to Sillasen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,761 to Nadeau; U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,826 to Rogers; U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,618 to Croucher; U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,073 to Baker; U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,800 to Hawkins; U.S. Pat. No. 1,175,926 to Bunnell; U.S. Pat. No. 1,095,097 to Fournet; U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,534 to Sackett; U.S. Pat. No. 16,007 to Evans which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Liebrecht, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,610) discloses a rotating disk type ditcher. Liebrecht teaches a frame structure, a PTO power system, and a cutting disk inclined downwardly so that the leading edge cuts into the ground. A plurality of paddles or scoops are positioned on the back side of the disk that throw the soil particles.
Sillasen (U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,985) discloses a rotary whirling ditcher. Sillasen teaches a frame, a drive assembly, and a plurality of rotating blades.
Nadeau (U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,761) discloses a rotary ditcher having ripper blades. Nadeau teaches a flywheel type rotor carrying impeller blades that pickup and throw soil to the side of the rotor, and two ripper blades in front of the rotor that loosen the soil.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for easily digging ditches, cleaning ditches, and creating terraces with reduced power take-off (PTO) power. Conventional machines require extensive PTO power for operating properly which can be extremely demanding upon a tractor vehicle.
In these respects, the feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing soil to be easily fed into one or more rotating dispersing members that are orientated at an angle with respect to a ground surface.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of ditch diggers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing soil to be easily fed into one or more rotating dispersing members.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that has many of the advantages of the ditch diggers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art ditch diggers, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a beater member positioned in the front portion of a frame having a hitch and a pair of support arms with wheels, a front blade, a pair of side blades, a dispersing member rotatably attached to the frame behind the front blade and the beater member, a power train mechanically connected to the dispersing member, and an adjustable deflector assembly attached to the rear portion of the frame. The dispersing member is comprised of a circular base, and a plurality of fan blades orthogonally attached to an upper surface of the circular base. The dispersing member is juxtaposed behind a pan attached to the front blade. The dispersing member is also less than 45 degrees with respect to the ground surface. The blade preferably is V-shaped for penetrating hardened soil. The beater member is comprised of a shaft member, a plurality of center paddle members attached to the shaft member, a plurality of side paddle members, a drive system mechanically connected to the shaft member, and a drive motor mechanically connected to the drive system. In operation, the front blade severs the dirt from the ground surface at a desired depth thereby simultaneously elevating the soil a finite distance after which the beater member engages the elevated soil thereby breaking the elevated soil apart and forcing the soil downwardly into the dispersing member where after the fan blades throw the dirt in a desired location.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that requires significantly less PTO power than conventional ditch digging devices.
An additional object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that can be utilized to dig ditches, clean ditches or create terraces within a field.
A further object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that creates a flat bottomed ditch thereby reducing the velocity of water flow.
Another object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that can be connected to most tractors.
A further object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that allows soil to be easily fed into one or more rotating dispersing members.
An additional object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that breaks up soil material prior to entering a dispersing member.
Another object is to provide a feeding device for a ditch digging and cleaning system that directs compressed soil material downwardly upon one or more dispersing members.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.